1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing nanoelectrode lines for nanoelectronic devices and, more particularly, to a method of manufacturing nanoelectrode lines between insulating layer patterns using a nanoimprint lithography process.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Conventionally, manufacture of semiconductor devices, electronic devices, photoelectric devices, magnetic devices, and display devices involves a photolithography process of forming fine patterns on a substrate. The photolithography process includes coating a substrate including a polymer layer with a polymer material having reactivity to light, exposing the polymer material to light by allowing light to pass through an arbitrary pattern, removing the exposed polymer material using a developing process, and forming a desired pattern mask on a material to be patterned. Subsequently, an etching process is performed using the pattern mask, thereby desirably patterning the polymer material stacked on the substrate. However, since a circuit linewidth or a pattern linewidth is determined by the wavelength of light used for the exposure process, it is not easy to form superfine patterns, for example, 100 nm fine patterns, on the substrate using the photolithography process.
In order to overcome the restrictions of the photolithography process, a nanoimprint lithography process has recently been employed. The nanoimprint lithography process involves preparing a mold including a desired pattern, coating a substrate with a thermoplastic polymer thin layer, locating the mold opposite to the substrate and applying high heat and high pressure between pressure plates, and separating the mold from the substrate to thereby transfer the pattern of the mold to the surface of the thermoplastic polymer thin layer formed on the substrate. However, since the nanoimprint lithography process is performed under a high process pressure, the mold and the substrate may be deformed or damaged. Also, the polymer thin layer can be patterned using the flowability of a heated polymer material, so that formation of large patterns takes much time. Furthermore, because a portion of the polymer thin layer, which is pressed by a protruding portion (or a convex portion) of the mold, is not completely removed but left, an additional process may be required to obtain fine patterns.
When nanoelectrode lines are manufactured using the conventional imprint lithography process as described above, the foregoing drawbacks may lead to interaction (e.g., electrical connection) between the metal electrode lines, thus making it difficult to form independent metal electrodes.
Conventionally, in order to prevent occurrence of interaction between the metal electrode lines, an insulating layer is formed on the metal electrode lines disposed on the substrate or metal patterns are formed in an insulating layer. However, according to these conventional methods, it is still difficult to form completely independent metal electrode lines to sub-micrometer levels.